Winstanley's bikes

I'm not one for going on forums and complaining about companies ( really... I'm not) but after using Winstanleys for the first time I'm more than a little disappointed.

I ordered a frame from them, it was out of stock but listed as being available to order and usually in stock with them within seven days. I was happy to wait so ordered it. I ordered it in mid June and was notified it would be delivered on the 26th. Fine. On the 25th I was emailed again and told it would be delivered on the 2nd July instead. Also fine if not a little disappointing. 2nd July goes by, no notification, no delivery. So I give them a call. " it hasn't come into stock, we'll chase it up and let you know". Don't hear anything so call them the next day. "It says it hasn't come in stock, we'll let you know when it does". I explain again the situation to be told "well it might have come in but it takes a while to check deliveries". I ask if they will let me know if it has come in or not to be told " you'll get a standard notification email when it's dispatched".

So I call again on Saturday and ask if they managed to see if it had been delivered "we don't really have many people work on a Saturday so I don't know". I explain that it was Friday that they had the delivery "well it might have been delivered, I'll check and call you straight back". Unsurprisingly nothing back from them.

I don't mind the delay, I ordered something out of stock, but it's the lack of communication and the poor attitude and the fact they just can't be bothered. They've had my money since I ordered it and just can't be bothered to just send me a quick update.

There seems to be more and more reports of this sort of thing going on. It's almost as if the companies are so competitive to get orders they'll advertise stuff and then try to get it in from the distributor as quick as possible.
I always check now, on the phone, that the parts I want are actually in stock (even if it says so on the website) before ordering.
Not had a problem with Winstanley tho..

Winstanleys are known for this I thought? Remember the cheap Hope Hoops a few years back, "they'll be in stock next week!", for week after week it was always Real Soon Now... meanwhile Hope were saying "No, they won't be in stock for ages, we can't get the Stans rims".

I just barely avoided it and got some more expensive ones from Wheelpro but I'd have been raging if I'd been waiting months for wheels that were unobtainable from the manufacturers while being promised they were on their way...

A few years back I worked for a company that sold bikes online, they would often advertise bikes as being in stock that weren't however they did state a longer delivery time on these. It was mainly the higher end bikes so that they weren't sat in the warehouse.

Just for balance, I've had a good experience with winstanleys in the last year or so - twice ordered out of stock bits as they were the only folk listing them. Good level of email communication - informed when a delivery date changed and it arrived when they said it would.

Yes, noticed this from quite a few companies recently so don't think it's limited to Winstanleys. We seem to be "suffering" from the desire to get cheap bits. Everyone seems to be working with "just in time" deliveries to save money keeping stock - except they're not "just in time" :).

The upside is cheap stuff! So when things work out it's a good experience. In Winstanleys defence I've had a cheap pair of Pike's and a Hope BB from them which were both "will get from suppliers" and I had them in just over a week. Remember reading somewhere that the price comparison sites penalise you for not having stuff in stock so a lot of them say they have it, or delivery time will be ~1 week.

Have ordered lots of things from Winstanleys and visited them a few times but the golden rule (not only with Winstanleys) is never order anything that isn't in stock

Was going to order a part last week online (not fron Winstanleys). Phoned first to check exactly what 7-10 days actually means to be told it could be ordered from the distributors. I knew this because the lbs had already not only told me the same thing but also that the distributors hadn't got any.

I was quite happy to wait, although I wasn't expecting near 4 weeks and counting, but it's just the lack of communication from them and the attitude that seems to be I'm unreasonable for expecting some sort of update.

Yeah, that's unfortunately pretty standard practice these days. Once the sale has gone through online, order from supplier and hope it comes into the shop in the next few days. Of course the system fails every now and again and the customer is the one who suffers.

That level of communication / lies is unacceptable and I wouldn't use them again. Actually I vowed never to use Winstanley's again about 5 years ago.

Lots of smaller retailers now drawing XML stock feeds from distributors who then drop ship in on order.

All it takes is an error on the feed/something to be faulty at the distributors and the shop is left high & dry.

As has been said, the desire to force price down results in retailers not being able to hold physical stock if they want to achieve price points and so sales in an increasingly price driven marketplace.

Lots of smaller retailers now drawing XML stock feeds from distributors who then drop ship in on order.
All it takes is an error on the feed/something to be faulty at the distributors and the shop is left high & dry.
As has been said, the desire to force price down results in retailers not being able to hold physical stock if they want to achieve price points and so sales in an increasingly price driven marketplace.
Hate the game not the player and all that.....

I don't disagree but it's the appalling service that I object to. They've taken my money, kept me hanging for a month so far and occasionally, when pushed from me, send me a cut and paste email with a possible delivery date. If they could at some point have the courtesy to have actually contacted me over the past 4 weeks and said 'we're really sorry but we may have some difficulties with your order and we can't really know if or when we will get it, can we offer you something else or refund so as not up waste even more of your time" then I'd be disappointed but at least treated with a little courtesy and half decent customer service.

I live near winstanleys and go in there quite regular for stuff and they are always busy and seem short staffed (always peak times though). Ordered a out of stock hope seat clamp last tues and they phoned me Sunday to say it had come in. Still had to wait in a que for 15 mins. Not really had a bad experience but it's easier when you can just call into shop.

Have you paid in full ? Because when I was I'm the shop a bloke came in for an (out of stock) bike his misses had been in to pay for (lucky sod) and they couldn't find it because they said if it's paid in full the computer thinks the item has Been taken. Don't know if this is the same with internet orders. Worth asking them

I ordered some BMX wheels from them a couple of years ago, knowing they were awaiting stock, didn't need them right away so wasn't bothered. They said they would send them ASAP but ETA to them was over a week. The wheels turned upon my doorstep 2 days later. Only thing I have bought from them, and I've heard horror stories.

What I don't understand is in these days of the internet and mail order why this business model even needs need to exist these days. What value do they add? Its not like DMR send them a pallet of 10 bikes which they have to pay upfront for and store untill someone buys them. They just take the money, pocket their share, pay DMR about 60% of the RRP and pocket the rest. Id not be supprised if they're on credit terms with the distributors too so the money's never out of their account!

Not bought from winstanleys but had the same problem with another shop that tried to do the same thing.

No wonder bricks and mortar shops can't compete on price, They've got to buy stock as well as the shop.

Well fair play to Winstanleys - ordered the bike Friday and it turned up this morning so no complaints there!

If you're intending on using brakes, be prepared to have to fit them, and they're a bit of a fiddle

You're not kidding. Fitting that back brake was the most frustrating thing I've done for a long time! I assume it's not actually possible to avoid the straddle cable rubbing the seat tube unless you use a different cable hanger that's actually wider than the tube? I've just used a bit of heli-tape under where the cable sits.

I like it though! It was a bit scary at first but nowhere near as twitchy as I thought it would be. Just got to learn some rad tricks now!